Category: twin peaks

Twin Peaks: The Final DossierFlatiron Books, 2017Written by Mark Frost

The final piece of Twin Peaks, for the time being, has been released. This comes in the form of co-creator Mark Frost’s meta-novel The Final Dossier. The Final Dossier continues the investigation of Tamara Preston from The Secret History of Twin Peaks. In the previous volume, she is pouring through an archive of documents about events in the Twin Peaks area dating back to the time of Lewis and Clark. In The Final Dossier, she has remained behind in the town after the events of the finale to debrief Director Gordon Cole on what has become of the townspeople and her own thoughts on what exactly happened. Beneath the surface, I read this as co-creator Mark Frost’s personal interpretation of the series. David Lynch is known for creating incredibly enigmatic art that he wants everyone involved from the actors to the viewers to interpret for themselves. It’s not too big of a jump to assume even though Frost contributed to The Return he may have different readings of what happened in the show.

This won’t be the standard dissection, but more a reflection on the emotions and ideas I have had in the week following the finale of Twin Peaks: The Return. My immediate reaction was a strong feeling in the gut, a sense of being overwhelmed, but overall positive. I was definitely ready to ruminate and one day reexamine the piece in its entirety. As with all work by Lynch, there is no Meaning, there are many meanings and understandings. He would be the first to not put authorial voice over your own interpretation and has never shown an interest in decomposing his work. As he says, “the work is the work.”

Video clips will come in about a week as those are uploaded to YouTube. I am waiting a week to revisit Part 18 for some reasons, so look for that next weekend.

Gordon Cole toasts the FBI with his agents Albert Rosenfeld and Tami Preston. He continues his speech by confiding a secret he has kept from Albert for 25 years. A being of extreme negative energy was discovered many decades ago. In ancient times it was called Jowday but is now referred to as Judy. Many agents disappeared in the search for Jowday. Off screen during season two, Gordon made a plan with Cooper and Major Briggs to find and stop Judy. This was part of Cooper’s purpose for entering the Red Room and coming in contact with the Lodge spirits.

Doppelganger Cooper and Richard Horne arrive at one set of coordinates, a spot in the hills of Western Washington. Doop explains to Richard that three people have given him coordinates, only two people matched. Richard says they should check out the two that match. Doop hands him a device and explains he will need to climb on a rock atop a nearby hill and follow the growing beeps on the instrument. Meanwhile, Jerry Horne crests another hill yards away, but not close enough to distinguish who these people are. Richard follows the sound and ends up being incinerated by an electrical trap laid by individuals out to stop Doop. Reacting coldly to the death, Doop confirms Richard was indeed his son. Before leaving he texts Diane a message that reads only “=) all.”

We open on a surprisingly bright sunny day, as Nadine Hurley walks with purpose down the highway, a golden shovel over her shoulder. She arrives at the Gas Farm to tell Big Ed she is setting him free from their marriage. Nadine has had an epiphany and realized that he and Norma Jennings should be together, that her jealousy stood in the way. I think she both genuine and has developed feelings for Dr. Amp aka Jacoby based on their last scene together. Ed takes this in and sets off from the station.

We begin with FBI Director Gordon Cole returning a call to Twin Peaks Police Department. He has an exchange with Lucy where she assures him she does go home and has gone a vacation; the department is not her home. On the horn with Frank, Cole learns about the missing pages of Laura Palmer’s diary and the implication that there are two Dale Coopers out and about in the world. Now, Cole knows they cannot trust Doop when they next cross paths.

Cooper, the Mitchum Brothers, their gals come to Lucky 7 celebrating, making a conga line through the office. They end up showering gifts on Bushnell, diamond cuff links and a car. Tony Sinclair sees all this going on and calls Mr. Todd, nervous and worried. Todd tells Tony it is his job to kill Dougie now.